2004 The Empire Strikes Back

With the 60th anniversary fo D-Day on 6th June, this is your chance, once again, to Hang out Your Washing on the Siegfried Line. Having dug for Britain, Kept Mum (she’s not so dumb) and always remembering it will all by over by Christmas, now it’s time to join us for a night of song, fun and jubilation.

What’s the recipe?
Mix a generous measure of Vera Lynn on the White Cliffs, with one Formby Ukulele, a hearty ration of Fish & Chips and season liberally with Laughter…

Cast:
James Atkinson
Ella Bowden
Ghislaine Bowden
Judy Duffield
Dominic Higham
Sheila James
Amanda Jones
Mary Lord
Roger Stiles
Tom Stiles
Jenny Taylor
Ashton Taylor-Smith
Lyn Thorpe
David Waller
Giles Webb
Richard Woolnough

Ellie Marjot
Liz McCreadie
Richard Morris
Jo Porter-Wilson
Nick Randall
Liz Sleight
Fiona Spearing
Cecily Stiles

Crew:

Stage Manager: Sarah Heaysman
Musical Director: Sally Higham
Banjo: Dominic Higham
Lighting: Dudley James
Sound: Joe Duffield
Costume: Barbara Lincoln, Stephanie Clark & Tom Stiles
Make Up: Annie Houghton
Bar Manager: Stewart Johnson

Review (Kent Messenger):

The level of production achieved by WADS is always appreciated. Special mention should be made on this show of the costume and make-up departments. Barbara Lincoln, Stephanie Clarke and Tom Stiles dressed everyone in wonderfully authentic costume so evocative of the era. Men were in uniform – covering a wide spectrum of the forces – and recognised by so many of the audience as being from their time in the services. Annie Houghton made sure the make-up gave the finishing touches to a true period feel. Stage
manager Sarah Heaysman, battling with tonsillitis and plans for her own wedding
the following week, kept an able hand on the tiller to ensure all ran smoothly. Dudley James and Joe Duffield delivered of their usual high standard with lights and sound; like the feet of the swan, unseen and paddling away like fury!

WADS production of a World War II Stage Door Canteen
style revue called “The Empire Strikes Back – WWII Revue”, Westerham Hall
20th-22nd May 2004.
To commemorate the 60th anniversary of D-Day
Mark
Mountjoy

Dunkirk Spirit!
The wartime spirit of the 40’s
was recreated by WADS in their latest show “The Empire Strikes Back – WWII
Revue”. In the face of adversity, and in just three short weeks, the cast
rallied behind director Ashton Taylor Smith who devised and created the show
from scratch. Taking some of the classic acts of the time and interspersing them
with original newsreel and recorded announcements a true D-Day Stage Door
Canteen was brought to Westerham Hall. Introduced by Richard Morris acting as MC
for the evening things got under way with the whole company treating us to a
rousing rendition of “We’ll Hang Out the Washing on the Siegfried Line”. Music
for the show was provided by Sally Higham, as musical Director, on keyboard and
her husband Dominic on banjo (also giving us an excellent Gorge Formby “When I’m
Cleaning Windows”)

Just in case anyone thought
it was to be a sentimental and maudlin retrospective the tone of the evening was
well and truly set by Giles Webb, James Atkinson and Ashton Taylor Smith with
their disconcertingly convincing mimed tribute to the Andrews Sisters – Boogie
Woogie Bugle Boy followed by Richard Woolnough as the original Cheeky Chappie,
Max Miller lowering the tone to the Brighton Seaside level with great comic
dexterity.    Judy Duffield and Roger
Stiles brought “Run Rabbit, Run” to life with Judy as the farmer’s obstreperous
young daughter singing her heart out and Roger as the eponymous rabbit. All that
was missing was Elmer Fudd and his shot gun! Ghislaine Bowden and Giles Webb
presented Dame Celia Molestrangler and Binkie Huckaback in perfectly pronounced
and correctly clipped tones, as first appeared in the Round the Horn radio
show.   Giles was back on stage after a
quick change to team up with David Waller in a spine tingling tribute to
Flannigan & Allen singing Underneath the Arches. Richard Woolnough reading
Rupert Brooke’s “The Soldier” brought the right balance and a moment to pause
and reflect. The first half closed with the entire company lead by Jenny Taylor
singing “Wish Me Luck as You Wave Me Goodbye”.

The audience, seated at
tables stage-door-canteen style throughout, were then treated to a Fish n Chip
supper provided by Salisbury’s of Biggin Hill. Delivered punctually and piping
hot. WADS Bar team, lead by Stewart Johnson, and Front of House, led by Pam
Shutter, made sure everyone had what they needed.

In the
second half Liz McCreadie with Roger Stiles and James Atkinson gave a tribute to
the great sand dance team of Wilson, Keppel and Betty in front of a cloth
depicting the pyramids and with sand from a little closer to home. The sand was
cleared up in the next act by Jo Porter-Wilson and Jenny Taylor singing “I’ll Be
Seeing You..” as two wonderfully poignant stage chars. One of the many
unexpected high points of the evening was Richard Woolnough, Giles Webb, David
Waller and James Atkinson in a formation dance tribute to the Air force. Wearing
Spitfire wings, flying helmets and goggles and with the music of Eric Coates
“The Dambusters” March they made their way through the audience and up onto
stage for a patriotic finale. You had to be there! Jenny Taylor gave a moving
rendition of The White Cliffs of Dover completely oblivious to the comic
conflict going on behind her between Richard Woolnough and Roger Stiles battling
for supremacy of the skies with ever larger bluebirds. Flinch? Flinch she did
not! Ella Bowden and James Atkinson presented the balcony scene from Private
Lives as a radio play in which their clipped, amorous words were intermittently
drowned by Nick Randall and Amanda Jones of the BBC Radiophonic sound effects
department and a vast array of highly amusing and inappropriate sounds. A tour
de force of timing. David Waller, marched onto stage by RSM Richard Woolnough,
gave us “Whispering Grass” a la Don Estell and Windsor Davis, complete with a
great voice and baggy shorts.   Liz McCreadie rounded off the comedy as the radio agony aunt giving advice on how to keep ones husband happy with Lyn Thorpe and Giles Webb miming to her instructions. Lyn’s manic attempts to keep up were a gem. Jenny Taylor lead the company once again with “We’ll Meet Again” and the excellent chorus of Fiona
Spearing, Shelia James, Liz Slight, Mary Lord, Ellanor Marjot and Cecily Stiles
had their work cut out competing with, by now, a very vocal audience joining
in.